DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 6, 2016) – From South Carolina to Connecticut, the 2017 schedule announced today for the unified NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will test the best Modified drivers over 17 points races and two special events at some of East Coast’s most historic venues.

The new era will kick off on Saturday, March 18, with the season opener at Myrtle Beach Speedway. South Carolina’s semi-banked half-mile oval held its first NASCAR event in 1958. The champion will be crowned at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, as the .625-mile hosts the 55th Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing on Sunday, Oct. 15.

The schedule includes 17 championship points races across seven states, including companion events with NASCAR’s national series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July and September, and Bristol Motor Speedway in August. The summer weekend at New Hampshire will also be highlighted by the invitational, non-points All-Star Shootout, and the fall will feature a non-points special event on the quarter-mile at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“NASCAR is committed to growing and enhancing the profile of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president of weekly & touring series. “The 2017 calendar is a mix of some of the best race tracks for the exciting brand of racing that Modified fans have loved for more than 60 years. We are looking forward to a championship season worthy of the likes of Richie Evans, Jerry Cook and others.”

“Whelen Engineering is extremely excited about the direction NASCAR is taking with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and our commitment to the tour is unwavering,” said Phil Kurze, vice president of motorsports for Whelen Engineering. “We truly feel the racing is some of the best in NASCAR, and the tracks that the tour will visit will provide fans a great experience as the drivers fight for the 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship.”

After Myrtle Beach, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to New England for two of the staple weekends of the early racing season: The 43rd Annual Icebreaker at Thompson and the 46th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway.

May will include a second race at a southern venue to be announced at a later date.

The tour schedule also features stops at a pair of bullrings known for their high-intensity, close-quarters Modified action: New London-Waterford Speedbowl in Connecticut and twice at Long Island’s Riverhead Raceway.

The tour will also make returns to Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts and Oswego Speedway in upstate New York after very successful inaugural visits to the two venerable tracks in 2016.

In more great news for Modified competitors and fans, several tracks have signed three-year sanction agreements for their events. They include Thompson’s three races, both championship points races at New Hampshire and Bristol.

In combining the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tours, NASCAR will offer competitors close to $500,000 in year-end point fund money through support from Whelen Engineering and contingency sponsors. NASCAR will also make available more than $230,000 in owner-plan money. As part of this, NASCAR has reallocated what was formerly the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour year-end point fund in the form of non-qualifier money and a champion/owners plan for the teams who competed in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour in 2016.

The visibility of the tour and the money available to the competitors is unmatched in asphalt Modified racing. In addition, NASCAR is continuing to look at other ways to help teams reduce costs from a competition standpoint.

“It’s very important to us, as we bring these two tours together, to keep in mind the financial realities of racing on the touring series level,” said Brandon Thompson, Senior Director of NASCAR Touring Series. “Since the end of the 2016 season, we have met with drivers and owners across all series, and will continue to have an open dialogue to work to provide what is best for everybody involved in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.”

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour television broadcast schedule on NBCSN will be announced at a later date.

Thompson, CT (December 5, 2016) – Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park today announced dates for the 2017 racing schedule, celebrating its 77th season on the high banked oval. The 2017 seven event NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) schedule is highlighted by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the return of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

The speedway will continue to showcase Sunoco Modifieds, which will compete in eight points-counting races supported by the Late Models, Limited Sportsman and Mini Stocks, who will all have seven points-counting races. The Lite Modified Division will race in five of the seven events, but will not race under the NWAAS sanction.

Several touring series will be making appearances at TSMP in 2017. At the top of the list will be the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visiting the track four times followed by NEMA Lite making three stops. NEMA, the North East Street Stock Tour and Mr. Rooter ProTruck Series will all be appearing twice. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, American-Canadian Tour, Pro All Stars Series, International Super Modified Association, Valenti Modified Racing Series, Granite State Pro Stock Series, North East Mini Stock Tour, New England Pro 4 Modifieds, Vintage Outlaws, and Senior Tour Auto Racers will make single stops at the track throughout the season.

The 2017 season of racing kicks off Friday, March 31st with the 43rd Annual Icebreaker. Eleven divisions will be featured in TSMP’s season opener, headlined by Thompson’s 135th NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race. The Race of Champions has been added to this year’s event, featuring our four NWAAS champions. They will face off in equally prepared cars from The Racing School. Bragging rights are on the line to determine who the champion of the champions will be. The highly-anticipated Fan Appreciation Party and Champion’s Banner Raising will be held on the last day of the event.

Planning is well underway for the 2017 season at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP). Officials from the historic ⅝-mile oval announced that they are receiving car number registrations for their 77th season. Renewals for drivers in the Sunoco Modified, Late Model, Limited Sportsman, Mini Stock, and Lite Modified drivers will continue until January 15. After that date, numbers will be issued on a first come-first served basis. As an incentive, anyone registering their car number from now through January 1, will receive discounted rate of $25. After January 1, the rate will increase to $35. Drivers can visit the competitor info tab under NASCAR Racing on www.thompsonspeedway.com to download the registration form. Instructions for return are also on the form.

Officials also announced some personnel changes within the technical inspection team. Veteran inspector, Todd Stiles, has been promoted to Technical Director, effective immediately. All Divisional Inspectors will report directly to Stiles. John Kelly, a well-respected INEX Legend inspector, and current TSMP Official has been promoted to Late Model Divisional Inspector. Kelly will join Mark St. Hilaire (Sunoco & Lite Modified Divisions), Joe Delorimiere (Limited Sportsman), and Chris Austill (Mini Stock), who all will be returning to inspect their respective divisions.

“We’re pleased to elevate Todd to the Technical Director position,” TSMP General Manager, Josh Vanada, stated. He went on to explain, “Todd has proven himself as a detail-driven individual, who places a premium on the integrity of the rulebook. He also balances this with understanding the challenges of crew chiefing a car. He’s built a good team around him, which now includes John Kelly. I see lots of overlap in the way the ACT and INEX rulebooks are written and enforced. John works very well within that framework, and has always been well-like in a position that usually does not receive much fan fare.”

This team of inspectors has been hard at work, and is pleased to release the 2017 rules packages for the Sunoco Modified, Limited Sportsman, Mini Stock, and Lite Modified Divisions. The Late Model rules will be released in conjunction with the 2017 American-Canadian Tour rules package.

The 2017 schedule will be released Monday, December 5, at 7:00pm on the Victory Lane Radio (www.victorylaneradio.com). For more information on 2017 registration, rules and contact information for our technical inspectors, please visit our website at thompsonspeedway.com.